Bird

Jewel Campbell’s brother John died on the day she was born: his Grandpa had called him Bird so he went to the cliff to fly off the edge. Grandpa hasn’t spoken since. Now 12 years old and living under the shadow of Bird’s death, Jewel creates her own rituals at the cliff, burying her worries with rocks in holes in the ground. While her mother and father’s opposing beliefs in the power of their cultural folklore pushes her family further apart, Jewel struggles to make sense of the world around her.

When she finds a boy in a tree, with a name and a face to echo her brother’s, she is drawn to him immediately, but their friendship is as rocky and dangerous as the landscape around them. Bringing John home to her family is the catalyst that will unravel their superstitions and force the truth about the past into the present.

Wonderfully steeped in her culture, Jewel’s story is as rich as the scenery around her. Her voice is clear and true with an honesty and vulnerability that reveals her frustrations and heartbreaks as well as the pleasure she takes in the growing garden and the geological miracles she is so in awe of. In John she finds a perfect match and their shared passion for the world around them gives them comfort away from the burdens of their families and home. The slow reveal of the Campbells' story keeps intrigue bubbling throughout and a sharp twist in the middle really shakes things up. A surprising story about superstition, loss and family that impresses and enchants.